The golden anniversary of the Z-Files has arrived – the big 5-0 - and it couldn’t come at a better time. It’s the perfect time and place to reveal the Top 10 Questions heading into MFC 24: Heat XC.

As usual, this is an opportunity to dig a little deeper into each individual fight and sort out some of the issues.

Here are the Top 10 Questions to pose heading into 2010’s fiery launch for the Maximum Fighting Championship:

1. Which young gun will fire? There is some bad blood brewing between David Letourneau and Nick Hrynchyshyn heading into their welterweight clash. Both are very intense up-and-comers looking to truly make a name for themselves. Letourneau pleaded his way into the fight and wants to prove Heat XC right for taking him on. Hrynchyshyn, one of the most popular young prospects in the mix, can take another fruitful step up with a victory.
2. Does “Gunner” have enough firepower? Nathan Gunn had a win within his grasp in the first round of his last fight but let the opportunity slip away and he paid for it with a devastating knockout loss to Pete Spratt. Lesson learned or not is the matter here when Gunn tries to redeem himself against Jesse Juarez, a training partner of MFC lightweight champion Antonio McKee.
3. Which Paapa will preach? Paapa Inkumsah tore through his first three opponents, showing not only some rapidly developing skills but also the type of fierceness that many fighters don’t possess. Then last time out against Jason Heit, Inkumsah was a shadow of his former self. He won’t have an easy task as he looks to rebuild his welterweight ranking when he takes on Dami Egbeyemi.
4. Is Baber a good bet? Hard to predict how a pro debut fighter is going to handle himself under the spotlight for the first time. But what Baber has going for him is he’s coming out of Bowman’s MFS, one of top camps in the country. If Baber avoids the pitfalls of stage fright, he could be on his way to becoming another in the impressive line of fighters from his top-notch team.
5. Does Duff have the stuff? After a very good debut, Elliot Duff appeared to have all the tools to become a strong up-and-comer in the middleweight division. But after his initial foray into the MFC/Heat XC ranks, he has tailed off with a bouncing-ball record. The biggest thing with Duff is aggression – if he brings it, he’s very dangerous. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t offer much.
6. Who’s at the Alamo? Call it the Last Stand Fight. For Jared Kilkenny and Jason Kuchera, this is pretty much it. Win and you stay in. Lose and you’re bags will be waiting for you at the door. Kilkenny has his work cut out of him, considering he’s on a two-fight skid after losses to Ryan Fortin and Dwayne Lewis. Kuchera has been teetering for some time but stayed alive with a second-round resurrection against Taylor Bull. Both guys are one right hand away from winning … or losing.
7. Is 7 a lucky number? For Dwayne Lewis, that is. A truly remarkable turnaround with six consecutive victories has led Lewis to a spot near the top of the light heavyweight heap. Although originally scheduled to face David Heath, Lewis won’t catch much of a break in facing Ryan McClain, who has shown some slick skills on the ground and doesn’t mind taking some punishment to get the result. It’s a critical moment for Lewis if he intends on reaching a new level in his career.
8. Can “Kong” crown “The Gladiator”? Tom Watson is certainly making waves coming into the MFC with the kind of bravado that’s rarely seen in these all-too politically correct times. A hot commodity out of England, it is Watson’s time to shine on this side of the ocean and knocking out Travis Galbraith in his home town would tell a great story. But Galbraith, whose career is often stagnated by lengthy breaks, has looked solid in training and may be ready to draw the thumb-up from the crowd.
9. Can “The Eraser” scrub out “The Texas Gunslinger”? This is a bit of genius matching. Take two guys who love to bang and let them sort out who is the better man on the night. Forget about clashes of styles, ground game vs. stand up. Let Derrick Noble and Yves Edwards settle it in the middle of the ring. Both fighters love to let their hands do the talking so expect plenty of fireworks and most likely a resounding conclusion to the night’s main event.
10. Hello world. Who’s all out there? For the first time ever, a Maximum Fighting Championship card will be streamed live online. It will be interesting to see how many fight fans around the world will link up to catch the action. One thing’s for sure, there’s already a great number of pre-orders especially from Europe